Frontier Pushes Back At United CEO, Citing Low Costs And Customer Demand For Budget Travel

Frontier Pushes Back At United CEO, Citing Low Costs And Customer Demand For Budget Travel

Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle pushed back against United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby’s claim that the deep-discount model is failing, according to CNBC. Speaking at the Skift Global Forum, Biffle argued that U.S. airlines face an oversupply problem, not a broken business model. He cited Frontier’s lower unit costs — 7.50 cents per seat mile excluding fuel compared with United’s 12.36 cents — and said the carrier appeals to customers seeking cheap fares while spending more on other travel luxuries. Kirby warned Frontier would be the last survivor of a failing discount model, while Biffle countered that United cannot dictate consumer choice. Both airlines, along with JetBlue, are adding flights on Spirit’s routes as it struggles through bankruptcy. Frontier posted a $70 million loss in the second quarter but forecast revenue growth this fall and said it expects profitability by 2026.


User: Benzinga

Views: 24

Uploaded: 2025-09-18

Duration: 00:51